Not One, But Seven Different Academic Paths

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Senior Aemin Becker, between majors, minors and certificates, is pursuing seven academic designations, when most college students earn between two and four, and she will acquire all of them in just four years.

As a double major in political science and national security she will graduate with two degrees, as well as a certificate in crime analysis and four minors in Russian, sociology, criminal justice, and global studies.

“That’s my problem: why don’t I just add more,” said Becker, joking about her hectic schedule.

Aside from her academic pursuits, she is a member of the Honors Program and is a Head Delegate for Model United Nations, the President of the Political Science Organization, a Political Science Ambassador, and occasionally serves on Mayor’s Advisory Commission. This is her third year as a tutor with the University Writing Center and her second year as an Academic Peer Mentor.

“I like to help people. I like to advise them. I like to try to be a role model for them,” she said, in her reasoning for her intense extra-curricular involvement.

Becker explained that she was able to accomplish so much largely due to the credit she came in with from high school. She also mentioned that she has already completed her National Security degree.

“I came in with all of my cores essentially done,” she said.

She also attributes a lot of it to the fact that many of her class requirements overlap. According to Becker, her Russian minor was one of the only things she needed to physically make room for in her schedule.

While her schedule often overlaps it continues to keep her busier than the average student. She often has twelve-hour days, seven days a week, and has taken an extra class every semester, increasing her credit load.

“I’ve always scheduled things out,” said Becker when asked about the difficulty of making everything fit. “I just did it myself and it kind of all worked out.”

Although she admits that she was less involved in high school, she still participated in the cross-country team and Mock trial. She describes her old high school academic schedule as comparable to her schedule in college.

“This has always been the way I am,” she said. “I’ve always tried to stack my schedule with as much as I possibly could because I like classes.”

Becker offered her advice to students, explaining that sometimes you cannot prioritize academics over social activities because both are important. Even with her busy schedule Becker makes time for her friends.

“It’s important to be busy but it’s important to not sacrifice the friendships you have,” she said.

She ended on an up-beat note for those who think her schedule is intimidating, explaining that it’s really all in your head when you believe you cannot do it.

“Always be persist, because people give up. You shouldn’t give up,” she said. “It’s cheesy but you really should believe that you can do it.”